Last Friday was my league meeting, which I missed. A discussion of rule 12 came up.

Rule 12 – Approaches Must Not Be DefacedDetracting from the possibility of other players having normal conditions is prohibited. This includes:1. The application of any foreign substance on any part of the approach.2. Improperly applying talcum powder, pumice, soap stone, rosin or any other foreign substance on the shoes causing the substance to be transferred to the approach.3. Soft rubber soles or heels that rub off on the approach.

Our local association has decided to interpret this rule to ban all use of rosin bags in the settee area and they all must be kept at tables behind the area. Basically, they're interpreting it that if any such material gets on the approach accidentally, whoever used that rosin bag or other materials violated that rule. Has this happened anywhere else?

A bunch of people contacted the USBC about this issue and got answers today. Rule 12 does not ban rosin from the bowling area, however leagues can adopt such a rule according to the answers recieved. Considering there was no vote to adopt such a rule at our meeting, this needs to be resolved before league begins.

Also, to clarify, my understanding is that you can still use your ultra-slide or smooth-slide or whatever brand of slide powder you prefer. It just has to be 'applied correctly' (stay on your shoe). Which means if someone decides your slide powder is staying on the approach and affecting their slide so they report it, you have to stop using it at that point.

What is so crazy I see people use powder on shoes that have interchangeable soles. Why even buy them if you do not put the appropriate sole on your shoe?

I use to use powder on my thumb years back but now I use a Chap stick. They can outlaw rosin bags for all I care. They are not needed.

I wore a black T-shirt last week that had a telephone booth with exploding glass on the front. The broken glass looked like powder. I had another bowler on the other team come up to ask about the powder on my shirt thinking it was coming from my bowling ball. Probably felt like a fool for asking. Thinking about wearing that shirt all the time now.

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